The Hand Test

by Edwin E. Wagner, Ph.D.

The Hand Test is a simple projective technique widely used to measure action tendencies--particularly acting-
out and aggressive behavior--in adults and children (at least 5 years of age). Nonthreatening and easily
administered in just 10 minutes, it's an ideal starting point in any diagnostic personality evaluation.
Using pictures of hands as the projective medium, the Hand Test elicits responses that reflect behavioral
tendencies. The client is shown 10 picture cards, one at a time. These contain simple line drawings of a hand
in various positions. The client's task is to explain what each hand is doing.
Furthermore, the Hand Test can be a valuable addition to any neuropsychological assessment battery. An
easy-to-calculate Brain Injury Score can inform the process of neuropsychological screening and is helpful in
estimating the degree of functional impairment due to brain injury.
Qualitative and Quantitative Scoring
To score the Hand Test, you simply classify responses according to clear-cut quantitative and qualitative
scoring categories.
The quantitative scores (such as Aggression, Exhibition, Communication, Dependence, Acquisition, Tension,
and Withdrawal) reflect the individual's overt behavior--how he or she interacts with others and the
environment. The qualitative scores generally reflect feelings and motivations underlying the imparted action
tendencies.
The test also provides six summary scores, including an index of overall pathology and an acting-out ratio,
which is used to predict aggressive behavior.
Furthermore, the Hand Test can be a valuable addition to any neuropsychological assessment battery. An
easy-to-calculate Brain Injury Score can inform the process of neuropsychological screening and is helpful in
estimating the degree of functional impairment due to brain injury. The Manual provides correlations
between the Hand Test and various neuropsychological measures.
Norms for Children, Adolescents, and Adults
The Hand Test can be used with anyone old enough to verbalize a response. The Manual provides means,
cutoff scores, and typical score ranges for normal adults and for adults in the following diagnostic groups:
alcoholism, mental retardation, organic brain syndrome, schizophrenia, conduct disorder, anxiety disorders,
affective disorders, somatoform disorders, histrionic personality disorder, schizoid personality disorder, and
other personality disorders.
In addition, a Manual Supplement provides norms for 5- to 18-year-olds. It also offers guidelines for
interpreting child and adolescent responses and for integrating the Hand Test into a standard
psychoeducational evaluation.
A Prediction of Overt Behavior
Based on more than 40 years of research and used with over a million people, the Hand Test effectively
measures reactions that are close to the surface and likely to be expressed in overt behavior. It differentiates
various clinical groups and helps predict acting-out, aggression, and other kinds of problem behavior. In
addition, recent studies have shown that the Hand Test is highly useful in assessing personality in individuals
with developmental problems, and behavioral response to victimization in sexually abused girls. These and
other studies suggest a broad utility for the Hand Test--in educational, correctional, neuropsychological, and
medical settings.

Component
KIT: Includes 25 Scoring Booklets; 1 Set of Picture Cards; 1 Manual; 1 Hand Test Manual Supplement:
Interpreting Child and Adolescent Responses